Slot machines, including video poker, video keno or video blackjack (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "slot machines") are an important source of income for the gambling industry. Accordingly, casinos constantly search for new gaming strategies and features to provide additional incentives for slot machine players to continue play and to distinguish their slot machines from competitors in the industry. For example, as an added incentive to play slot machines, many casinos offer "slot club" programs to reward slot machine players. Each player in a slot club is generally issued a player tracking card encoded with his identification number. The casino awards "player reward points" for the player as he plays slot machines in that casino. The "player reward points" can generally be redeemed for merchandise or services at the casino hotel. In many cases, however, these incentives may not be sufficient to attract new players or to retain existing casino players at slot machines.
Slot machines typically do not require or permit player intervention once the game is activated. Generally, after play is initiated, the reels of the slot machine spin and come to a stop, with the payout determined by the resulting reel combination. The player does not have an opportunity to affect the resulting reel combination or the associated payout. Accordingly, once play is initiated, the player passively watches for an average duration of five seconds as the reels spin and the results are determined. While the success of slot machines can be attributed, in large part, to their passive nature, many potential players are bored after a short period of play by such inactivity. Thus, a number of casinos have attempted to increase the appeal of slot machines by providing challenging components.
In addition, it has been found that the player's perception of the odds of winning strongly influences whether a player continues playing. Thus, when a player feels lucky or otherwise perceives the odds of winning to be higher, the player likely continues playing. On the other hand, when the player feels unlucky or otherwise perceives the odds of winning to be unfavorable, the player likely stops playing, or even worse, travels to a competing casino where the player perceives the odds of winning to be better. Thus, casinos have developed a number of slot machines which permit a player to influence the output of the slot machine play and thereby transfer their lucky feelings to control the output of the game in order to affect the resulting reel combination or the associated payout.
In one variation, players utilize their talents with a particular game of skill to improve their odds of winning with slot machine play. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,049, entitled "Gaming Machine With Skill Feature" (hereinafter, the "Wichinsky System"), discloses a slot machine having a skill feature, which allows the player to utilize results with the game of skill to improve the chances of winning on the slot machine. The game of skill associated with the Wichinsky System, however, is activated only after the reels are initially spun and a combination of slot symbols is determined. The results of the game of skill then allow additional spins of one or more reels of the slot machine so that other winning opportunities can be created. While the game of skill associated with the Wichinsky System does permit a player to affect the resulting reel combination of a particular slot machine play, the game of skill does not entertain the player while the reels of the slot machine are spinning. In addition, the Wichinsky System does not permit a player to use successful results with the game of skill to access higher reward levels with the slot machine, with each reward level having progressively higher payouts for a given winning combination or a higher probability of a winning result.
Unfortunately, such slot machines which permit a player to influence the outcome of the slot machine play by means of an additional game of skill have experienced only marginal success in increasing the appeal and utilization of slot machines. While the added skill components have increased the challenge associated with slot machine play, it has been found that many players are not interested in the physical activity required by such games of skill, and would react more favorably to challenge components associated with mental stimulation.
As apparent from the above-described deficiencies with conventional systems for retaining players at electronic gaming devices, such as slot machines, a need exists for a slot machine that allows players to play a game of knowledge, such as a trivia game, while playing a slot machine to increase the appeal and challenge associated with slot play. In addition, a further need exists for a slot machine that permits a player to use successful results with a game of knowledge to access higher reward levels with an associated slot machine, with each reward level having progressively higher payouts for a given winning combination or a higher probability of a winning result.